DESERT THEATREWORKS — Attraction in Indio

I have been a Season Ticket holder for 3 years and have attended 5-6 performances each year. This one, Kinky Boots was not as enjoyable as the others. The actors tried to use an English (London) dialect and it was spoken much too fast and not spoken clearly. Most of what was said could not be understood, which made if very difficult to follow the story. In addition, most of the background music was too loud and overshadowed what was being said. Unfortunately, the singing voice of the male lead was not good for his part, often being "off-key." This was only the 2nd performance, so hopefully much of the following can be rectified in the future: There was a problem with the sound system during much of the show, with loud noises being heard like a mic being tapped. During the 2nd Act, it appeared that the lead actor's mic system was being replaced as the play went on. That seemed to solve the problem, but we were all wondering why it took so long for production to notice. Often the individual microphones would go out while the actor was talking or singing, then come back on as they walked. There seemed to be a "dead spot" up in the loading dock area of the stage. There were several "wardrobe malfunctions" , with undergarments showing. Up until the last number, the singing and dancing was not what we expected for Kinky Boots. Finally, at the end, we felt the joy and enthusiasm that is normal for a musical. We only wish it had shown sooner.

The set design was well done and interesting, and the costumes were good. We would have enjoyed Kinky Boots so much more if we had been able to hear and...

If you patronize this theater, you are not supporting the artists they've somehow snookered into giving away their talents, because by the time you're watching the show, DTW (ie, husbands Ron and Lance) will have likely made them a thousand promises, very few of which were fulfilled.

They demonstrably don't pay on time ... if at all ... and when asked, they repeatedly erupt in defensiveness and lies to cover for how they never intended to fulfill their agreement.

Did you enjoy the singing (and have you had your hearing checked)? The performers may have taught themselves off the cast CD. DTW allegedly doesn't hire musicians or music directors, instead giving performers a copy of the cast recording and telling them to self-learn it.

Did you enjoy the costumes? The performers have probably paid for them out of their own pockets.

How about the wigs? The performer has very likely bought it and also paid for their own styling.

Did you see the minors ... like 12-year/olds ... playing adult roles in the ensemble? Is it because DTW has burned so many actors, they can only complete their casts by pulling children from their city-supported youth programs? Instead of stage managers, do they use teenagers? Instead of dressers and choreographers, does Lance hire his 16-year-old daughter to do it?

It goes on and on. And on.

I offer this as a review, because patrons of this establishment should know this place is not what it seems, and anyone you're watching will have suffered considerably for your entertainment.

Have a good time! (Because no one else in that...

I was in Palm Springs for the weekend (from San Diego) with my sisters and I surprised them with tickets to see Beautiful: The Carol King Musical at Desert Theatreworks. I had seen the play in Tampa and it was phenomenal and wasn't sure what to expect from a tiny community theater.

The theater was literally the smallest theater space I had ever stepped foot in (even smaller than K-12 schools). This made me nervous but after reading the Program and learning that the woman who was starring as Carol King had performed in New York, I felt relieved that the play would be worth our time. It was! They used the tiny stage in such creative ways - maximizing every square inch and it worked.

Sure, there were actors who will never go beyond community theater, but the leads were fantastic and helped carry the show! We laughed, cried and sang along to the songs (in our minds) that our mother used to play in our home. We had a wonderful experience and I recommend anyone who visits Indio visit and see a show. It will be worth your time! Oh I almost forgot, we got to meet the actors at the end of the show which made the experience even more meaningful. What a fantastic afternoon watching Beautiful: The Carol King Story.

Thank you Desert...